Hopper gate power drive mechanism

ABSTRACT

ACTUATING MECHANISM HAVING AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF A DRIVE SHAFT FOR A DISCHARGE GATE, ALTERNATIVELY OR SIMULTANEOUSLY OPERABLE DRIVES, ONE DIRECT AND THE OTHER THROUGH A HOUSED, BI-DIRECTIONAL, HYPOCYCLODIAL GEAR TRAIN, FOR SELECTABILITY OF THE POWER APPLIED IN OPERATING THE GATE.

.Filed July 2, 1969 Nov. 16, 1911 w. 1.. FLOEHR 3,620,169

HOPPER GATE POWER DRIVE MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3\ U H E q o: ,0

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walteq L. Floehr h i 5 AI I o r n e y Nov. 16, 1971 w. L. FLOEHR HOPPER GATE POWER 1mm: MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2, 1969 WV 1 n v e n t o r 1 Walter L. Floehr h i 5 A1 to r n e y United States Patent O US. Cl. 105-282 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Actuating mechanism having at opposite ends of a drive shaft for a discharge gate, alternatively or simultaneously operable drives, one direct and the other through a housed, bi-directional, hypocycloidal gear train, for selectability of the power applied in operating the gate. t

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION While discharge gates of railway hopper 'cars usually are driveable between open and closed positions by leverage applied directly to an end of an operating shaft, 21 greater force sometimes is needed to open a gate, as when the gate is bonded closed by weak cement resulting from the hygroscopic action of cement lading. For such occasions, drive mechanisms having inbuilt power gearing, such as disclosed in Floehr Pats. Nos. 3,021,798 and 3,392,600 and Floehr et al. Pat. No. 3,310,005, have been proposed. It is with this same problem that the present invention is particularly concerned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved drive mechanism for a railway hopper car discharge gate, which, by having at one end of the drive shaft a direct drive and at the other a drive through housed, bi-directional hypocycloidal power gearing, enables the force exerted on the shaft in operating the gate to be varied as necessary by selecting the drive to which force is applied.

Another object of the invention is to provide housed drive mechanism of the character described in the preceding object in which the hypocycloidal gearing is lubricated and protected from corrosion by being contained in a sealed, oil-filled chamber in the housing and the housing is removeably mounted on the adjoining side of the frame for application and removal as a unit with the associated operating head and independently of the operating shaft.

A feature of the invention is that in opening and closing operations, the hypocycloidal gearing enables its, as well as the direct drive head, to turn in the same direction as the shaft, with consequent simplification of operation, whether the shaft is operated from one end, or, for maximum power, simultaneously from both.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is a plan View of a railway hopper car discharge gate assembly incorporating a preferred embodiment of the improved drive mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the assembly of FIG. 1 applied to a hopper;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the structure of FIG. 2, taken from the power gearing side;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 1, with the gate and most of the frame removed;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of an enlarged scale, taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing a preferred device for locking the gate and mechanism in closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved drive mechanism of the present invention, designated as 1, is designed for driving a discharge or slide gate 2 of a railway hopper car between open and closed positions.

Conventionally, in the illustrated application the discharge gate 2 is slidably mounted in a gate frame 3, which is welded or otherwise fixed or secured to the bottom of a bottom-opening hopper 4, and is reciprocable or shiftab'le in the frame between positions to open and 'close a hopper discharge opening 5 bounded thereby. Also conventionally, the gate 2 is driven between open and closed positions by applying power to an operating shaft 6 mounted on and extending across the frame 2 and the power is transmitted from the shaft to the gate by a suitable driving connection, such as the illustrated rackand-pinion drive 7 having racks 8 fixed to the underside of the gate and pinions 9 fixed against relative rotation to the shaft.

Part of the improved drive mechanism 1, the operating shaft 6 is mounted for rotation or turning about a stationary axis, with one end journaled in a mounting bracket 10 bolted or otherwise releasably attached or secured to the outside of the adjoining side of the frame 3, and has bolted or otherwise releasably secured to that end beyond the bracket a capstan or operating head 11 suitably socketed for removeably receiving an appropriate turning tool or lever (not shown).

As opposed to the direct drive of the operating shaft 6 at the above one end, by which the leverage or power applied to the capstan 11 is transmitted directly and without mechanical advantage to the shaft, the improved drive mechanism 1 has at the opposite end of the shaft power gearing or a power gear train 12 interposed between another capstan 11 at that end and the shaft for enabling the same power applied to that other or second capstan to be transmitted with a predetermined mechanical advantage to the shaft. The power or reduction gearing 12 is part of a gear assembly 13 which is releasably mounted on or attached to the outside of the adjoining side of the frame 3 and not only journals the adjoining end of the shaft 6 and sealingly contains the gearing but also mounts the second capstan 11. For these purposes, the gear assembly 13, is comprised of a housing 14 having, suitably, a flat, winged base 15 bolted to the side of the frame, conveniently through a pair of angle brackets 16 laterally straddling and spaced from the shaft, and an annular boss 17 instanding from the base between the brackets and rotatively receiving or journaling the adjoining end of the shaft. The housing '14 may and preferably does have a cylindrical side wall 18, integral with and outstanding from the suitably flat base 15 and containing therewith an outwardly opening cylindrical gear chamber 151, accessible inwardly through the shaftjournaling boss 17 and normally closed outwardly by a cover plate 20 bolted or otherwise releasably secured to the side wall. An annular boss 21, outstanding from and preferably integral with the cover plate 20 and eccentric or offset laterally or radially relative to the instanding boss 17, journals a stub drive shaft 22, to whose outer end is bolted or otherwise releasably secured the other or adjoining capstan 11.

The power gearing or gear train 12 is both bi-directional or drivable from each end and hypocycloidal, the former enabling the operating shaft 6 to be operated from either end without interference at the other end, and the latter for compactness and to ensure that both of the capstans 11 will turn in the same direction in an opening or closing operation. The gearing 12 has two circular gears, one an internally toothed driven gear 23, concentric or coaxial with and non-rotatively connected to the operating shaft 6 and the other an externally toothed driving gear 24 eccentric to and fitting in and intermeshing with the driven gear and non-rotatively connected to and conveniently integral with the stub drive shaft 22. The driven gear 23 not only is circular but has an externally cylindrical head or tooth portion 25 of such diameter relative to the inside diameter of the cylindrical side wall 18 of the housing 14 as to be journaled thereby without substantial lateral play therebetween and the same relation obtains between the head 26 of the driving gear and the cylindrical socket 27 in the outstanding boss 21 in which it fits.

For connecting it to the operating shaft, the driven gear 23 has a hub 28 instanding axially from its head 25 and centrally apertured to receive the adjoining end of the shaft. Keying, as by a longitudinally extended slot 29 in the received end portion of the operating shaft and a mating or interfitting key or rib 30 instanding or projecting radially into the central or axial bore 31 extending through the hub, is preferred for non-rotatively connecting the driven gear and the operating shaft, while permitting both that gear and the housing 14 to be slid outwardly off the shaft without either disturbing the key or removing the shaft from the frame 3. If, as also preferred, the key 30 is fixed to or rigid with the hub and of suitable length relative to the slot, the connection will serve in addition as a limit stop to prevent projection of the operating shaft into the driven gears head 25. As in the illustrated embodiment, this limiting action of the key-and-slot connection between the driven gear 23 and operating shaft 6, may be assisted by radially overlapping that shaft and the head 26 of the driving gear 24 and providing each with a flat, radially extending end surface.

Suitable annular sealing gaskets 32 between the cover plate and side wall 18 of the housing 14 and in the instanding and outstanding bosses 17 and 21 about the operating shaft 6 and drive shaft 22, respectively, provide a leak-proof seal for the interior of the housing. This, in the housings assembled position, permits the gear chamber 19 to be filled with lubricating oil, conveniently through a normally plugged fill port 33 in the upper part of the cover plate 20, thus enabling the power gearing 12 to be contained against corrosion and for lubrication and consequent easy operation in a bath of oil.

With the pinions 9 limiting the axial movement of the operating shaft 6 relative to the frame 3, the improved drive mechanism 1 most readily can be assembled by slotting the sides of the frame 3 to permit the operating shaft to be inserted from below into operating position. With the shaft held in that position, the fittings at the direct drive end ordinarily will be applied first, whereafter the gear assembly 13, usually preassembled, will be fitted or slid over the opposite end of the operating shaft and bolted in place to the frame 3, leaving, to complete the assembly, only the filling of the gear chamber 19 with lubricating oil.

The power gearing 12 has been illustrated as having a driven to driving gear tooth ratio of 22:8, giving a power or reduction ratio of 2.75:1, which is adequate for opening a gate under any sticking conditions likely to be encountered in service. However, should this ever be insufficient, the uni-directionality of turning of the operating shaft 6 and the capstans 11, in facilitating the simultaneous application of force to both capstans, readily enables the power applied by an operator at the gear drive end to be increased by a power application by a second operator at the direct drive end. Except under such an extraordinary condition, the closing and particularly the opening of the discharge gate 2 simply involves the selection by a single operator of whichever of the direct and power geared drives is suited for the condition of the gate and then operation of the gate by applying leverage to that drives capstan 11.

As the illustrated drive mechanism is not individually lockable against operation or designed for application of the customary wire seal for indicating tampering between loading and unloading of the related hopper 4, some means are needed that will both positively lock the gate in closed position and be sealable in its locking position. A locking device 34 suitable for those purposes is shown in FIG. 7, and has a mounting bracket 35 fixed to and centered laterally on the outside of the front of the frame 3 above the gate-receiving opening 36 therein. A locking key 37, fitting in the bracket, is pin-and-slot connected thereto for turning and sliding or shifting between a vertical locking position in which it drops down over the outer end of the gate and, backed by the bracket, locks the gate in closed position and an oblique releasing position in which it has been lifted and tilted out of the gates path of movement. As indicated, appropriate aperturing of both members enables the key in its locking position to be sealed to the bracket. Since, while as sembled, the driving mechanism 1 cannot be operated without moving the gate 2, the locking key 37, on locking the gate in closed position, also locks the drive mechanism against operation.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved drive mechanism for discharge gates, which not only permits selective operation by either or both of direct and power gear drives but also ensures the operability of the power gear drive whenever it is needed. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included that do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. Drive mechanism for a railway hopper car discharge gate drivable between open and closed positions in a gate frame by power applied to the gate through an operating shaft extending across the frame, comprising selectively operable direct and power gear drives at opposite ends of the operating shaft, said power gear drive including a housed hypocycloidal gear train drivable from each end for transmitting power applied thereto to the operating shaft.

2. Drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the power gear drive is a gear assembly including an oilfilled leakage-sealed housing removably attached to the frame and containing the hypocycloidal gear train and journaling an adjoining end of the operating shaft.

3. Drive mechanism according to claim. 2, wherein the hypocycloidal gear train includes an internally toothed driven gear connected against rotation and for outward axial movement to the operating shaft, and an externally toothed driving gear having a drive shaft mounting an operating head.

4. Drive mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the driven gear is contained and journaled in an outwardly opening gear chamber in the housing, and a removably attached cover plate normally closes the outer end of the chamber and mounts and journals the driving gear and drive shaft.

5. Drive mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the gear chamber is -fillable with oil through a normally plugged fill port in the cover plate.

6 6. Drive mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the 3,241,499 3/ 1966 Floehr 105-282 RP gear assembly is held against disconnection from the ad- 3,245,359 4/1966 Floehr 105-282 X RP joining end of the operating shaft only by being remov- 3,310,005 -3/ 1967 Floehr et a1. 105-305 ably attached to the frame and, when detached there- 3,348,501 10/1967 Stevens et a1. 105--282 X from, can be applied and removed as a unit. 5 3,387,570 6/1968 Pulcrano et a1. 105282 RP 7. Drive mechanism according to claim 6, including 3,392,600 7/1968 Floehr 74-606 releasable means for positively locking the gate in closed position and therethrough the mechanism against op- ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner H. BELTRAN A t t-E miner References Cited 10 8815 an Xa UNITED STATES PATENTS US. Cl. X.R.

1,059,450 4/1913 Foote 74421 74421, 606; IDS-Q86, 305

3,021,798 2/1962 Floehr 105-282 RP 

